Hillsdale softball opens season with win

The Knights hosted King’s Academy, which came into the game with a 3-3 record. Despite its lack of game preparation, Hillsdale certainly didn’t play like it was its first game of the season. The Knights rapped out 12 hits, including a home run from Hannah Levy and a double from Claire Shelton, got the entire roster into the game and got contributions from up and down the lineup to post an 8-3 win over King’s Academy.

“First game of the season. A learning opportunity,” Fuentes said. “We have a strong lineup, one to nine.”

Hillsdale also appears to have a deep pitching staff as well. Freshman Lexi Kuka got the start in the circle. She gave up back-to-back hits to start the game, a bloop single to Audrey Bennette and a bunt single to Sophie Xie, but settled down to get out of the jam, striking out the final two batters.

Kuka worked the first three innings, allowing three hits. Sydney Nagamine, a senior returner, pitched the next three innings, allowing three runs on four hits, before Kuka returned for the seventh.

All told, Kuka and Nagamine combined to limit King’s Academy to three runs on eight hits.

Still waiting in the wings for Hillsdale are junior Ashley Driscoll, who started a majority of last season, as well as Keana Castro.

“We can make them all happy,” Fuentes said of his pitching staff.

If the Hillsdale offense is going to play like it did Friday, whoever is in the circle is going to get run support. Hillsdale put pressure on King’s Academy starting pitcher Peyton Hui, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Hillsdale failed to get the big hit.

Hillsdale didn’t miss its next chance, which came in the second inning. Kuka started the rally by drawing a walk. Lei Ah Tou followed with a single to right to bring up No. 8 hitter Veah Alvarez, who drove in the first run of the season with a hot shot to center. A.J. Abad followed with a RBI single of her own and Hillsdale plated its third run of the inning on a Kristen Conliffe groundout to first.

Hillsdale doubled its lead with three more runs in the fourth. With one out, Conliffe hit a seeing-eye single to shallow left field. Shelton followed with a walk and Alex Bunton singled to load the bases. Levy followed with a flyout to right, but an erratic throw home allowed Conliffe to score from third. After Bianca Erickson was walked, Nagamine came to the plate and on a 1-0 pitch drove a single to center that plated two more runs for a 6-0 Hillsdale lead.

Bunton was a vacuum on the left side of the infield. Starting at third base, she made a leaping catch for out in the first and then in the third, made a head-long dive to catch a bunt popup. Bunton handled all her chances cleanly at third and continued her strong play when she shifted over to shortstop. The only play she failed to make was on a backhand dive in the hole. She got to the ball, but it popped out for an infield hit.

Hillsdale tacked on a run in the fifth when Makayla Penate singled and courtesy runner Alvarez took second on a groundout, went to third on a wild pitch and ended up scoring on another wild pitch.

In the sixth, Levy stroked a drive deep to left-center field and raced around the bases for a home run.

“Game day is fun day,” Fuentes said.